Tape-line holder



2 6L BY 0. SIMMONS.

TAPE LINE HOLDER.

APPLICATION men SEPT. 14. 1920.

1 ,Q073429, Patented Feb 211 1922.

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ATTORI'VEY.

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CHARLES SIMMONS, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

TAEE-LINE HOLDER.

Application filed September 14, 1920.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES SIMMONS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tape- Line Holders, of which the following is a specification.

The object of the present invention is to provide means attachable to the end of a tape line so as to permit the latter to be anchored firmly to a certain point during the unwinding of the tape for the purpose of measuring off a distant point, thus enabling a single person to efiiciently and qulckly make use of tape lines in measuring dimensions and distances of various degrees without the aid of any other person or agency.

A further object is to provide improved anchoring means in the form of an attachment which can be readily applied to any measuring tape of conventional make and without requiring the least alteration or change of the tape line; improved means being provided for effectively and removably coupling the anchoring means to the end of the tape.

As an additional object it may be said that the invention aims to provide an attachment of the character described having new and novel features of construction particularly adapting'it for the purposes in view and provided with a penetrating spur or point of a replaceable character.

With the above and other objects in view the invention may be said generally to reside in the details of construction, co1nbination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully pointed out, reference being had to the accompanying drawings wherein Figure 1 is a plan view of the end of a tape line with the attachment coupled thereto. V

Figure 2 is a plan view showing the under side of the attachment, and

Figure 3 is a vertical longitudinal section taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

The attachment consists primarily of a clip 1 formed from a flat resilient strip bent to provide oppositely spaced parallel portions or spring grips 2 and 8, respectively, between which the end of a tape measure is adapted to be received. The grip 3, as will be observed, is provided with an outwardly bent portion or lip 4: so as to facilitate the Specification of Letters Patent.

protect the point of the attachment.

Patented Feb. 211., 1922 Serial No. 410,248.

insertion of the clip. The grip 2 is provided with a spring guard or point protector 5 in the form of a narrow strip swiveled to the top surface of the grip as at 6 so as to swing sidewise and provided at its free end with downwardly bent side portions 7. This guard normally tends to adhere closely to the surface of the grip 2 but, as shown, is capable of being bent upwardly to fit over and The upper grip is slotted inwardly from one edge as indicated at 8 to permit the point to be inserted between the clip and approximately centered with respect thereto. The lower grip has a groove 9 formed transversely thereacross and upon its inner face to form a socket for a purpose to be hereinafter more fully explained.

'The point of the attachment which has been previously referred to comprises means for penetrating the surface of wood or other porous substances, so as to firmly anchor the clip to some one particular place while the tape measure is being unwound from the reel. This means preferably consistsof a steel point or spur 103 provided with an enlarged flat head 11 as shown. This point is designed to be inserted between the grips 2 and 3 of the clip so that the enlarged head comes between the grips while the spur or point 10 projects outwardly through the slot of the grip 2. It is held securely in place by the end of the loop 12 carried by the tape 13. which loop is inserted between the grips of the clip so that its'foremost end comes to rest snugly within the socket 9; it being understood that the grip members normally tend to spring inwardly toward each other and must consequently be forced apart as the loop is forced therebetween. The lower grip 3 being narrower than the loop may contract inwardly thereof owing to the skeleton character of the'loop and consequently is able to retain the socket 9 in close contact with the end of the loop so as to force the latter up against the head of the point which rests thereon. In this way it is seen that the point is securely retained in position within the clip and is normally held against any displacement or from working loose through the slot 8. The attachment is, therefore, capable of being securely attached to a tape measure by reason of its own resiliency and may be slipped on or off at will. However, to positively connect the attachment to the loop of the measure, an

auxiliary fastening means may be provided consisting of a belt or other suitable threaded member 1ihaving its head countersunk in grip and its shank extending across the opposite grip 2-3 through which it projects to be subsequently engaged by a nut 15. The tightening of the nut tends to draw the grips 2 and 3 closely together for more firmly gripping the loop and positively preventing it from being pulled out of the socket 9.

After this attachment has been applied to a tape in the manner illustrated and as above described, the latter can be very readily used y a single person in measuring distances between distant points, the point 10 oi the attachment permitting the looped end of the tape to be firmly anchored at one of. the

' coming blunt or otherwise impaired by injurious contact with any hard substance. For this purpose any suitable material such as soft rubber or the like may be arranged between the side flanges oi the guard for abutment with the penetrating point when the guard is fitted thereover. When it is desired to insert the point into the ground, etc, the guard may then be raised out of contact with the same and swung to one side, whereupon it will when released, swing back to its normal position against the top surface of grip 2.

Two auxiliary members are formed integral with. grip 2, which grip forms the bottom of the clip, and these auxiliary members comprise a pointed toot-h 16 projecting from one edge of the clip and a pair of projecting members 17 extending laterally from the edge of the member adjacent the slot 6 and forming a continuation of the latter.

From the foregoing description it will thus be seen that I have provided an attachment which can be readily applied to or detached from a tape line and one which is provided with detachable penetrating means where the end of the tape may be anchored to a predetermined position. Particular at tention is directed to the fact that the penetrating means of the attachment is removable and consequently of an interchangeable character so that the loss injury to or im pairment of the penetrating means maybe compensated for by the substitution of pene- "trating means of similar character without precise details here illustrated or'described but only to such as properly fall within the scope of the invention as defined in the accompanying claims: I

1. An attachment for holding the end of a tape line consisting of a member bent upon itself to provide grip] members for clasping the end of the tape line, one or said'grip members being slotted and a headed pointremovably cooperating with said member for anchoring the same to a selected opening, the head of said point being received between the respective grip portions and the point protruding out through the slotted grip.

2. A tape line holder comprising a spring clip having clamping jaws between which the end of the tape line is adapted to be frictionally retained, and a removable holding point projecting outwardly from and cooperating with the clip and providing means for anchoring it to a selected location.

i 3. A tape line holder comprising a spring clip having clamping jaws for frictionally engaging and retaining the end of a tape line therebetween, a removable point associated with the clip to provide anchoring means, and a point-protector means carried by the clip and engageable with the point when'the latter is not in use, said protector means serving, also, to prevent loss or displacement of the point from the clip.

An attachment for holding one end of a tape line comprising a clip having spring jaws for clamping the tape line end there- CHARLES SIMMONS.

Witnesses:

Susan E. SHIRLEY, NnLLm I. SIMMONS. 

